The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-01-29
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
WHY'S ADVENTURE

Would you not like to see ravens
nest, Willy?"
"a what?" exclaimed Willy, in much
surprise, and with his eyes wide open.
ga ravens nest, stupid" repeated
his companion.
"Why there are not any about herem
"Aren't there, though; that's all you
know about it. saw one yesterday"
"Nonsense," said Willy.
Il tell you did," returned the other
stoutly. II was over there at Chere-
ham Cliffs yesterday and L saw it" he
concluded, with great emphasis.
WHY'S eyes opened wider still. ooh!
should like to see it, too" he ex-
claimed.
"Well, come on them" said the other,
Sam Heathcote by name, who lived not
far from the cottage where Willy dwelt
with his grandfather and grandmother.
But Willy did not move.
"Come on" cried Sam, again; ''what
are you waiting forP"
Willy still paused. He was thinking
that he had been told not to 90 near
Chereham Cliffs. But the temptation
was strong. A ravens nest is not to
be seen very often, and if the news of
its existence became noised abroad in
the village it might not remain there
much longer. Yet Willy tried to be an
obedient boy, and so compromised the
matter by saying to himself: "Well, 1
will 90 now, and then l will tell
grandma how it was, and she will for
give me, because l should so much like
to see this strange and rare thing" So
he cried: "All right, Sam, here goes!"
and the two boys turned away from the
village, and hurried over the fields in
the direction of the famous cliffs.
These were not by the seashore, as
might perhaps be supposed. They form
the sides of huge rent or pass through
some high hills in the west country, a
wild, and, for children, somewhat dan
gerous spot, which visitors came from
long distances to see, and against
which mothers warned their boys and
girls. The village was on the grassy
and gently-sloping side of the hills, SC
Sam and his companion had not very
far to 90.
"What have you got that rope anC
pole for?" asked Willy as he and San
trotted over the fields, which, rising
rather gradually here, led toward the
top of the cliffs.
ITO help ourselves down by" sale
Sam; 1.-THE nest is half way down thu
cliffs, and it is too steep and rough t,
Chamber down without n rope"
"Oh!" said Willy, alarmed. "Wh.
did you not say so beforeP" He wa
) only little fellow, and this seemed
1readfully dangerous proceeding.
WHAT cried his companion, car
you going to be coward now, eh, an,
go back?"
NO." replied the other, decided
ly, and he trotted forward again, bu
r less quickly than before.
In due time theyreachcd the top, an,
looked down the rugged cliffs. Behin
them stretched the undulating summit
of the range of hills, covered wit
short, sweet grass, which flocks of shee
were nibbling; in front was the chasm
and across the chasm the sward cOvere
Hills stretched forward again.
"Now," said Sam, eve will tie tn
end of the rope round this pole"-
which he pushed into a hole in tn
earth, and the other end l will taste
round me, under my arms, so-d'y
seeP"-suiting the action to the WORD
"Then you hold the rope round tn
pole so that it shall keep fast, and"-
) carefully picking his way ca
Chamber down pretty nearly all the way
9 only I have the rope case we shoul
II fall. Mind and hold to it tight. I
& like to have the ravens eggs befor
: anybody else-or perhaps there al
{ young ones-who knows"
d Willy clutched the rope with de
u perate grasp, and watched Sam disal
q peared, but his heart was sorrowfu
g How he wished he had not come! SLOW
Is ly the minutes passed. The rope graz
7, ually went out over the cliff, bit by bi
(, Sam seemed making his way very car
II fully and very slowly, and occasional
le Willy heard him shouting and singin
as if greatly delighted. Presently
Il heard him call; Pull up the rop
u Willy; l am coming"
/ So Willy pluckcd up little coarag
;, pulled the rope as it became slack, al
u lying full length on the grass, venture
IL to peep over the chasm and look
e Sam! Yes, there he was slowly makir
q his way up the rough cliff amid Il
i, wilderness of grass and wild fowe
u and thistles that adorned the side. o
u how profoundly quiet it was! The
was absolutely no sound now but d
~ hum of the wild bee or the buzz of
II flv. After all it would be jolly to
~ Jo,,-n info that wilderness of wi